Alicia and Peter Phillips Mandaville outline some of the ways in which democratization efforts can be reconceptualized and reformulated based on insights from critical social theory and by paying closer attention to the local histories and legacies of power relationships that shape the political present in developmental contexts around the world. They argue that we need to move from a hegemonic and universally conceived effort of ‘democracy assistance’ towards messier, idiosyncratic, but often at the end of the day, more participatory forms of democratic politics.Development (2007) 50, 5–13. doi:10.1057/palgrave.development.1100321